Why is my cat so fat?

LOS ANGELES, CA - Your cat was born to hunt his prey in the wild. Is that why he’s so fat and cantankerous? It's estimated that 58% of cats are overweight. According to Dr. Carlo Siracusa, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, in natural environments, cats feast on small prey up to 12 times a day. The desire to bat around and toy with their food is hard-wired into their genes- and those mice and birds they would catch for themselves are the perfect-sized meal.

Since "portion control" is much easier said than done with a determined house cat, veterinarian Dr. Liz Bales came up with an unusual solution that focuses on the method of feeding- instead of how much food you’re plopping into their bowls.

Dr. Bales thinks your cat should be stalking his food, but how far are you willing to go with meal prep? She invented the “No Bowl Feeding System” which has you filling 5 little mouse shaped pods and hiding them all over your house.

It’s pretty ingenious because it mimics the instinctual hunting process. If your cat is hungry, he has to track down the pod and fling it around to release the food. The “No Bowl” indiegogo campaign has almost quadrupled its goal, so it seems many supporters think this could mean the end of feline obesity. Organizing “the hunt” everyday certainly is a labor of love, but isn’t little Mittens worth it?